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July 24, 2013 — As human population and resource demands soar, some novel approaches to conservation are beginning to emerge. One example is WildAid’s campaign to squelch illegal wildlife trafficking by reducing demand for products derived from endangered species. Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in China, where that country’s increasing affluence has intensified demand — even at a whopping $100 a bowl. Despite the fact that one-third of shark species are now endangered, each year up to 73 million sharks have their fins hacked off and are left to drown or bleed to death to fulfill demand for the soup. In one WildAid commercial, a shark-filled aquarium surrounds a room full of restaurant patrons with bowls in front of them. The camera pauses on a shark with a bleeding gash, then pans over the diners, their faces contorted in disgust. A narrator’s voice says ominously, “What if you could see how shark fin soup is made?” The diners push away their soup bowls, and Chinese basketball star Yao Ming affirms WildAid’s slogan: “Remember, when the buying stops, the killing can too.” In another arm of the campaign, Chefs Against Shark Fin, Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali, among others, publicly pledge to refuse shark fin and actively promote alternatives. These and other efforts are credited with a 50 percent decline in demand for shark fin in the past year, according to the Hong Kong–based Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association. Photo courtesy of WildAid

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